An honour killing is the murder of a woman or girl by her family member accused of tainting the family’s honour. Females are killed for reasons such as sexual misconduct, dressing provocatively, not wearing the hijab, and being in the presence of a man who is not a member of the family. Females do not have to be caught in the act, many are killed for being accused of misconduct.
Honour killings are a family affair. Families usually appoint a male family member below the age of 18 to carry out the killing, and this is why brothers represent a large majority of the perpetrators. In Jordan, a minor who commits a crime will spend time in a juvenile detention centre, and will be released back into society at the age of 18 with a clear criminal record. Families often plan the killings so that they can take advantage and benefit from the laws. There is no law in Jordan that states that honour killings are legal, but laws are formed around honour killings serve to protect the cultural practice.
Real-life examples of honour killing in Jordan
A Jordanian woman caused her family shame when she ran away with a man after divorcing her husband. As a result of her decision, the family was ostracized the community. Her eight sisters were deemed unfit for marriage, and her brothers were mocked in the streets.
Close relatives consulted with the family and they decided that the woman should be killed to cleanse the family’s honour and so that they could be reintegrated into the community. The woman’s brother was able to locate her and kill her. According to Fadia Faqir’s article “Intrafamily Femicide in Defence of Honour: The Case of Jordan,” after the killing, a female sibling announced to the community that “now we can walk with our heads held high.”
The killings are often symbolic. A woman, who became pregnant when she was raped by her neighbour, was killed by her brother for the shame that she brought to the family. He strangled her with a telephone cord because she was suspected of speaking with this man over the telephone.
Jordanians opposed to honour killings
Throughout the past quarter-century, there have been many attempts by stakeholders to put an end to the acceptance of honour killings in Jordan. In the 1980s, a group of well-educated women joined together to work towards eliminating all forms of discrimination against women, and formed the Jordanian Women’s Union (JWU).
In 1994, the JWU together with a group of female lawyers established a crisis hotline for citizens to report domestic violence. Although there was good intent, the hotline was unsuccessful. The hotline collapsed within months because the government refused to fund it, and the staff was unable to meet the needs of the victims.
The Royal Family of Jordan has made its opposition to honour killings known in Jordan. Princess Basma has appealed to the government to change the laws that protect the perpetrators of honour killings. She is the head of the Jordanian National Committee for Women. She other female members of the Royal Family have participated in protests, marches and appeals to the government in the last decade.
A Jordanian journalist named Rana Husseini was given the crime beat at the Jordanian Times, one of the country’s only English newspapers. She has been very passionate about women’s rights and raising awareness toward honour killings in Jordan. In 1998, she received the Reebok Award for Human Rights for her dedication to women’s rights. Her work attracted the attention of CNN, and they featured a 15 minute special on honour killings in Jordan. The special was broadcast internationally and many viewers were appalled to learn that this practice occurs in modern day Jordan. The Jordanian government was upset about the negative international press that this brought to the country, and condemned Husseni because they felt that this would hinder their attempts to compete in the global market and attract foreign investments.
The Jordanian Government’s Response to Laws Regarding Honour Killing
Husseini, along with CNN and other activists created the “Campaign for the Elimination of So-Called ‘Crimes of Honour,’” and they created a petition to repeal Article 340 of the Penal Code.
According to Stefanie Nanes’ article “Fighting Honour Crimes: Evidence of Civil Society in Jordan,” the Jordan Times and other newspapers published “a call to all Jordanian citizens to sign the petition”. It was facilitated by 300 volunteers who gathered more than 15,000 signatures, but it was rejected by the Lower House in parliament.
The Lower House has rejected every attempt to amend the discriminatory laws of the Penal Code, and the most recent attempt was in 2003. The Lower House has accused anyone who tries to amend the laws of “succumbing to the West” according to Faqir’s article “Intrafamily Femicide in Defence of Honour,” the House feels that changing the laws would mean legalizing obscenity, and would harm society and women’s morals. Overall, those in favour of amending the discriminatory articles will continue to raise money for their cause, and appeal to the government. Those opposed to change claim that they are adhering to and protecting the traditional beliefs of the people.
Sources:
Faqir, Fadia. "Intrafamily Femicide in Defense of Honour: The Case of Jordan." Third World Quarterly, 22.1 (2001): 65-82.
Irin. "Jordan: Special Report on Honour Killings." Reuters Alert.net. 18 April, 2005.
"Jordan: Another 'Honour' Crime Goes Unpunished by Government." Women's International Network News, 39.2 (2003): 315-348.
Nanes, Stefanie Eileen. "Fighting Honour Crimes: Evidence of Civil Society in Jordan." The Middle East Journal, 57.1 (2003): 112-129.
Warrick, Catherine. "The Vanishing Victim: Criminal Law and Gender in Jordan." Law and Society Review, 39.2 (2005): 315-348.
Annique Daniel - My name is Annique Daniel, and I recently graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with a BA in Journalism and Human Rights. I have a ...
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